Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2.1 rolls out with a focus on reliability and performance

Google has started rolling out Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2.1, a follow-up to the January QPR3 Beta 2 release aimed squarely at improving stability, battery behavior, and overall reliability on Pixel devices. As detailed in the release notes, the update is now rolling out to enrolled users, with Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series phones receiving build CP11.251209.009, while all remaining supported devices receive CP11.251209.009.A1.

According to Google, Beta 2.1 doesn’t introduce any new app-impacting API changes. Instead, it continues the cleanup work from QPR3 Beta 2, which focused on fixing bugs that could impact day-to-day use.

As a reminder, here are some of the main issues addressed as part of the QPR3 Beta 2 fix lineup:

• Fixed an issue where the app drawer could become unresponsive when scrolling, which required updates to how UI elements were rendered.
• Stopped Android Auto from incorrectly logging extensive screen time, impacting battery life.
• Fixed graphical glitches and performance degradation when interacting with the notification shade in full-screen or PiP modes by improving display rendering.
• Fixed an excessive battery drain issue that occurs overnight when optimizing background process power consumption.
• Resolved an issue where the battery charging limit was not being respected, causing devices to charge to 100% instead of the set limit.
• Fixed an issue where users experienced slow internet speeds on Wi-Fi due to a Wi-Fi connection bug.
• Fixed a crash when accessing radio information settings.
• Users experienced a noticeable delay and lack of feedback when switching audio outputs to speakerphone during calls; this was resolved by improving audio routing logic.
• Fixed a display issue causing screen flickering when waking the device from Always-On Display by updating system webview.
• Resolved an issue where certain apps, including Microsoft applications managed by Intune, were crashing on startup due to a compatibility problem with the Android system that has now been resolved.
• Fixed an issue causing inconsistent or failed wireless charging and slow wired charging by improving the power management system.
• Addressed system crashes that occurred when folding a foldable device with an app open by fixing an issue with activity lifecycle management during device state changes

As with other Android QPR betas, these builds are intended to be stable enough for general use, rather than early developer previews. If you’re already enrolled in the Android Beta for Pixel program and haven’t opted out, Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2.1 should arrive automatically via an over-the-air update.

Over on the Android Beta subreddit, early testers say Beta 2.1 looks like a largely under-the-hood update. Several users reported download sizes hovering around 90MB to 110MB, and most said they couldn’t spot much that was new right away. You can check out our experience of digging into Android 16 QPR3 Beta for an idea of what to expect next month.